School-desk



J. M. MOTT.

SCHOOL DESK.

Patented Aug. 2, 1881.

N. PETERS. Phowumogmpur;wnhinglon. n4 C.

UNITD STATES IAPATinv'I OFFICE.

JOHN M. MOTT, CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

SCHOOL-bask.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 245,087, dated August 2, 1881.

` Application iiledrDecember 17, 1878.

To all whom it may concern.- y

Beit known that I, JOHN M. Mo'rT, of the city. of (.lhicago,inl the county of Cook and State of Illinois, and useful Improvements in School-Desks; andI do hereby. declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the lettersof reference marked thereon7 which form a part of this speciiication.

My invention relates to a school-desk frame formed of Wrought tubular or angle iron; and it consists, rst, in the fastening of the wooden portionto the metal portions by rods inserted edge'wise through the Wooden portionsy and through interposed eyebolts,whereby the w'holeA is secured to the rigid portions; second, `in the flanged connecting-pieces; third,in the connecting-pieces, standards, and transverse piece.

Figure 1 is an end elevation of my improved school-desk, speciallyintended to illustrate the form and construction of the standardsand sections of the frame made of wrought tubular or angle iron. Fig. 2 is a vertical section, showing the form of a cast foot screwed to the tubular standard-legs, by which the latter are adapted to `rest squarely upon and be fastened securelyto theioor.` Fig. 3 is atra-nsverse section of a single slat, or of the foot-rest, which shows Inyl improved mode of securing thelwood-work to the frame. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section of the single slat and a transverse section of the dowelrod and frame. Fig. 5 is a central transverse section of the deskseat, showing the broad metal blind tie by which the several slats composing the seat are made to mutually support each other. This iigure also shows the rubber facing applied to the seat-arm stop to prevent noise of striking in loweringtheseat'to its place. Fig. 6 is a transversesection of the seat-arm, showin g the wood portion of the seat and thedowel-rod and one of the eyebolts by means of which the wood isheld tothe arm. Fig. 7 shows a forml of combined yielding and positive `stop for the arrest of the seat as it falls in a horizontal position. Fig. 8 is an under-side view of the desk-top with the hinged leaf raised and held by the arms. This figure is intended to illustrate the use of the transverse rod or bar exhaye invented certain newA tending from c standard to standard immediatetely beneath the leaf-supports, together with the arrangement of thefsupports when swung in to lowenthe leaf. Fig. 9 illustrates a inode of securing the end pieces, J, in their places. Fig. l0 is a view of thev upper face of connection a, detached. Fig. ll is a transverse section of the seat in line with the dowel-rod i".

`A-A are standards, of bent wrought tubular iron, having the top, middle, and bottom hori- `zontal connections, a, b, and c, secured in any suitable manner to the standards to form onev of two or morerigid sectionsof the desk-frame.

B isa strong metal arm secured to the standards AA, or to one ofthem, and forming a support, to which the cast orvwrought metal seat-arm C is hinged, as shown. The arm C is sectionallyin the an gularform shown in Fi 6, or, in other words, has the horizontal flan ge d.

D is the .wooden portion of the seat,'con1 posed of several slats resting upon the seatarms ofthe frame, as shown inFig. 5.

The strip S is ymade iiat,so as to present a broad surface to the slats, and thereby be preventedfrom cutting away the edges of the orifices through which it passes, as cylindrical rods would do, because of the small surfaces exposed by themin contact with the wood.

E is the back of the seat, similarly composed of y several slats and secured to the front standards,A,which arebentto give to the seat-back the curve required. f

F is the Xed top of thexdesk, resting upon and secured tothe cross-piece a of the frame, and Gis the hinged portion of the i ing, as usual, when raised, an inclined extension of F. When lowered it forms the door or the cover of the hook-space, beneath F, which is further inclosed by the xed wood front piece, H, ,bottom I, vand the end pieces, J. j

K K are cast ieet, preferably adapted to screw into or upon the outwardly-bent standi ards, and formed to rest 'squarelyupon the ioor. They are provided'with holes for screws, by which the desk maylbe'irrnlyjfastened to thefloon c l The seat-slats are secured' to the seat=arms C by means of the transverse rods'r, passed through them in a line immediately over each of the said arms, and through the eyebolts e IOO let up into or between the slats from the under face thereof, as shown in Fig. 6. 'Ihe eyebolts pass through holes in the flanges d of the arms C, and are secured by nuts n. The slats are made to mutually support each other between the seat-arms by means of a broad ilat strip of metal, s, passing through them transversely and riveted or otherwise secured to the marginal slats, asindcated att in Fig. 5.

rllhe slats that are to form the seat may be joined together while laid in the same plane, which position permits the introduction of a rod or strip that closely fills the space provided for it, and subsequently, by the use of detachable eyebolts c, the whole may be forced to conform to any desired curvature in the scatarms, thereby insuring a much more firm and even structure than is possible when separate and detachable eyebolts are not used, as well as allowing the seat to be given a more graceful and comfortable shape. rlhey also permit the slats to be tightened when loosened by shrinking or otherwise.

The back E is joined tothe standards A, the top F to the cross-piece c, the desk-lid G to the blocks M, and the foot-rest N to the crosspiece c in a manner entirely similar to that of connecting the seat to the arms C, so that, if desired, all exposed wood surfaces may be unbroken by nail or screw.

The seat-arm C is arrested in its horizontal position by the""arm C', extending to the rear of the hinge and arranged to strike below the bottom I. In the movements of the occupants the hinged seat is often disturbed and noise produced by the stop, wherever located. To prevent this I provide a thin block of rubber or other yielding substance, t', secured either to the rear arm or t0 the point against which said arm strikes. This rubber I prefer to make in the form illustrated by Fig. 7, in which f is an inward-projecting ilange upon the crosspiece b, adapted to support the bottom board of the bookspace, and in position to meet the inner, projection, C', of the seat arm C. On the under face of this iange is formed the pin or button h, (which may be a flaring-headed screw let into the ange,) and over this pin or head is sprung the short section t' of heavy rubber tubing. The tubing projects a proper distance below the head h, to iirst receive and deaden the blow of the rear arm, C', but permits the same to rise and solidly rest against the head h, which will then be the real or fixed stop when the seat is subjected to the weight of one of its occupants. The positive stop It may, obviously, be at one side of a solid rubber striker and produce the same effect.

The advantage of a fixed or positive stop over a thin piece of rubber alone is that the movements ot' one occupant of the seat will not joggle his neighbor by a movement of the seat. When the combined form of primarily yielding and ultimately positive stop is used the former element should be adjusted to prevent the seat-arm C from striking the latter when the seat is simply let fall by its own weight. The arm C is also provided with a lug or projection having the rubber or elastic facing j, intended to noiselessly arrest the upward movement of the seat-arm C by striking against the arm B.

rlhe view of the top inverted, shown in Fig. 8, indicates the arrangement of the hinged arms g g, by which they closely overfold beneath the top F, as shown in dotted lines,and also the position and oiiice of the rod L. The latter extends from one standard to the other, parallel with the top, and arranged immediately beneath the arms g g, so as to support the latter at all points of their throw from the time they are brought under the falling leaf G. The strain of holding the leaf is thereby almost wholly taken off the hinges by which the arms g are attached and thrown upon the rod or bar L.

In forming the standardsfrom wrought-iron tubing it is evident that one piece may be bent to form both standards of aframesection. The sharp angles required at the top, at the margins of the piece F, and not easily made in the tube, can be supplied either in a cross piece, a, or by the end piece, J, which maybe of wood or ot' metal. In forming the entire section from a single piece of wrought angleiron a sharp angle can be made by cutting a piece at each corner from the transverse flange and bending the other as required.

Obviously, in using an gle-iron for the frame, the cast foot K should be the square end of the leg, and may he either riveted or bolted to the same.

Fig. 9 illustrates a mode of securing the end pieces, J, in their places. For this purpose the transverse connecting-pieces a and b are respectively provided with the vertical flanges m and a', arranged outside ot' the standards A a sufficient distance to admit the end piece, J, between the flanges and standards. The connection b is preferably a little higher at the front than at the rear standard, as shown in Fig. 1. The end piece, J, is slid into its place from the rear and is held wholly or mainly by the piece H, which is subsequently secured to the rear standards. The standards A may cooperate with the flanges m and n to hold the end piece, or the shorter flanges m a may be formed on the connecting-pieces a and b, parallel with m and n, and may be wholly outside of the standards or in line with their outer surfaces.

The following matters, described and shown, are withdrawn from this specification for the purpose of embodying them in a separate application, viz., first, the frame composed of tubular iron; second, the metal strip S inserted through the slats to support the same; third,

the stud with rubber cap or cushion for a noiseless stop; fourth, the rod L to support the leaf-arms.

Having thus described my invention,1 claim and desire to secure by Letters Patentsocketed to receiveY IOO IOS

IIO

1. Ayfasteningfor the wooden portion to the rigid portion, consisting of a transverse rod inserted through the wood, combined with detachableeyebolts let into the under surface 5 ofthe wood, wherebyl the latter may be first joined in a plane and afterward secured to the rigid parts, whetherstraight or curved, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with the standards AA,

zo ofthe connecting-pieces a and b,having respectively thel iauges m and n, whereby the -end inclosing-pieces, J, maybe inserted and secured between the said flanges and standards, substantially as described. f

3. The combination of the flanged connecting-pieces a and b, as described, the standards A A, end pieces, J, andtransverse pieces H, Asubstantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. A fastening to secure the seat, back, or oth er wooden portions of the'desk to the fram e, consistingof a strip or bar inserted transversely through the wooden parts over the frame, combined with bolts passing through the frame and engaged with the strip or bar,

substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as `my invention I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

' JOHN M. MOTT.

Witnesses:

MDA'YTON, P;-ELBOo REY.

.25 "whereby the wood is clamped to the frame, x 

